Houthis Fire Missiles at Yemen Presidential Palace in Aden Killing Two Guards
Missile Strike Hits Aden Presidential Palace
Houthis fired ballistic missiles at Yemen's presidential palace in Aden on Thursday, killing at least two security personnel while Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani and cabinet members escaped unharmed. Five ballistic missiles struck al-Maashiq Palace, the headquarters of Yemen's internationally recognized government. [1] Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani stated that the prime minister and other senior officials escaped unharmed, but two members of the security forces were killed and numerous others were wounded. [1] Witnesses reported hearing loud booms near the palace, and an AFP journalist saw smoke rising from the complex. [2] [3] Government accounts described the attack as involving missiles and drones. [2] The strike marked the first on the Aden palace complex in the current phase of fighting. [2]
Competing Accounts of the Target
The Yemeni government described the strikes as hitting command centers inside the presidential compound used by Yemeni government forces and the Saudi-led coalition. [3] A government minister said on condition of anonymity that the Houthis hit a command center for Yemeni government forces with three missiles and another for Saudi-led coalition forces with two missiles. [3] Houthi spokespeople described the target as a Saudi-run military operations headquarters and weapons depots. [1] Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had bombed what it described as the Saudi military operations headquarters in Aden. [2] The Houthi-run news agency SABA reported that the headquarters was run by Saudi officers and that there were weapons depots there. [2] The competing accounts could not be independently verified. [1] [2]
Escalation After Truce Collapse
The attack is part of renewed fighting that resumed last month after the collapse of a 2022 truce. [1] Government forces backed by Saudi air support have attempted to retake Houthi-held territory near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. [1] Last week, government forces launched a campaign to recapture areas controlled by the Houthis, recovering ground near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. [2] The Iran-backed Houthis have seized swathes of territory along Yemen's Red Sea coastline in recent weeks, and a government counteroffensive with Saudi air support has so far failed to reverse the gains. [3] Yemen's civil war reignited after the collapse of a years-long truce, with the Houthis launching a lightning offensive in September. [3] The renewed Saudi-backed offensive and retaliatory Houthi attacks have brought the conflict into a more dangerous phase. [1]
Houthi Attacks on Saudi Infrastructure
Houthis have launched multiple attacks on Saudi infrastructure this month, including 20 strikes on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport that killed 17 people and wounded 333, plus strikes on Abha airport. [2] The coalition said Houthi attacks on Abha airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the Yemeni border had killed three people and wounded 28. [2] The Saudi-led military coalition said the Houthis had attempted to attack dozens of sites including airports, ports and oil installations. [2] The coalition reported destroying 127 Houthi weapons facilities and intercepting drones aimed at southern Saudi cities. [2] The coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed a drone in the southwestern Saudi Arabian city of Khamis Mushait and another launched towards the country's southern region. [2] The governing council of the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization condemned the recent attacks on civilian airports, aircraft, and aviation infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. [2]
Saudi Accusations Against Iran
Saudi Arabia accused Iran of encouraging the escalation by continuing to arm and train the Houthis. [3] Riyadh on Thursday accused Iran of encouraging the escalation, saying it continued to arm and train the group. [3] Saudi Arabia's deputy minister for public diplomacy at the foreign ministry said Riyadh was still in touch with Iran, but that Tehran did not appear ready to make concessions. [3] Dr. Rayed Krimly stated, "We think that the escalation by the Houthis at this latest stage of the conflict is encouraged by Iran." [3] Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said the Houthis had acquired advanced military technology with the help of regional actors, including ballistic missiles, drones and explosive-laden fast boats. [2] The Saudi ministry official accused the Houthis of refusing to meet as fighting ramped up, noting that at the beginning of this escalation Riyadh asked them to meet in Muscat, Oman and they refused. [3]
Humanitarian Impact in Yemen
The conflict has worsened the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, with more than 600,000 people in Taiz facing restricted access to aid amid ongoing Houthi sieges and bombardment. [1] Residents of Taiz, northwest of Aden, have said they face intensifying bombardment and dwindling supplies as the Houthis tighten their grip on areas around the city. [2] Yemen has endured years of displacement, economic collapse, and widespread shortages of essential supplies. [1] The latest fighting threatens to undo years of diplomatic efforts aimed at bringing Yemen's prolonged civil war to an end. [1] A United Nations-brokered truce in 2022 significantly reduced large-scale hostilities, but negotiations failed to produce a lasting political settlement. [1] In Yemen, the conflict has caused what the United Nations calls one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, leaving most of the nation's population dependent on aid. [3]
What to watch next: The Saudi-led coalition said the Houthis must immediately cease all operations targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, while Houthi statements renewed warnings that Saudi airspace and airports were unsafe.
